Automated audio mixer

A mix controller comprising:

• an audio mainframe for housing audio processing equipment;
• audio processing devices mounted in the audio mainframe and responsive to digital control data for processing audio signals by analog techniques;
• a console having manually operable input devices for inputting control signals and lightable elements for displaying control status and characteristics, including signal routing grouped in control blocks on an upper surface thereof, each control block corresponding to one of the audio processing devices mounted in the audio mainframe;
• a microprocessor-based control system comprising plural microprocessors and plural random access memory (RAM) units coupled to the console for receiving the control signals, converting the control signals to the digital control data, storing and retrieving the digital control data, and for controlling digital data transfer between the console and the audio mainframe;
• and
• a data communication link connecting the audio mainframe and the console for carrying the digital control data between the audio mainframe and the console;
• wherein the control blocks are arranged in individual input/output channel arrays, and at least one of the input/output channel arrays forms a removable pod module having one of the plural microprocessors and one of the RAM units, the removable pod module connected to the console by a first digital data link with a first separable connector.